Stocks set to rise at the open on economic optimism

U.S. stocks are set to soar at the open fueled by economic optimism after Germany and France unexpectedly returned to growth and the whole eurozone area barely contracted in the second quarter. This only helped already positive sentiment that followed the Federal Reserve statement on the "leveling out" U.S. economy yesterday. Of course, stronger-than-expected earnings from Wal-Mart (WMT) didn't hurt either.

Update: following a surprise decline in retail sales, futures tempered their climb.